>> >>PEGGY: AFTER YEARS OF BEING TOLD CRIME RATES IN SAN DIEGO WERE FALLING, THE POLICE
NOW SAY CRIME IS ON THE RISE AGAIN, AND THEY NEED MORE MONEY TO FIGHT IT.
JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HE CALLS THE BIG FLAW IN THE NEW CRIME WARNING IS VOICE
OF SAN DIEGO REPORTER KEEGAN KYLE.
>> >>: THIS WARNING CAME OUT AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SEEKING 66ÊMILLION DOLLARS
OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO ADD MORE OFFICERS, AND REPAIR FACILITIES, NEW EQUIPMENT.
>> >>PEGGY: WE KNOW WHERE THEY WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY.
LES RR LOOK AT THE CRIME STATS AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY, WHICH CRIMES HAVE ACTUALLY INCREASED?
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORIES, MURDER, RAPE, ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED
ASSAULT.
ALL OF THEM HAVE INCREASED EXCEPT MURDER.
>> >>PEGGY: AND WE HAVE SOME ACTUAL NUMBERS WE CAN BREAK DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER.
THE MURDER WAS DOWN YOU KNOW MURDER WAS DOWN BY A LITTLE LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT.
WHAT ELSE DO WE SEE HERE?
WE'VE GOT RAPE WAS UP SIGNIFICANTLY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.
THE OVERALL 12%, IS THAT A TREND?
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: WE'VE SEEN CRIME GOING UP OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AND THAT'S WHAT DEFINES
THAT TREND.
WHAT WE'RE COMPARING IS JANUARY THROUGH MAY THIS YEAR WITH JANUARY THROUGH MAY LAST YEAR.
THAT'S A KIND OF TIME FRAME THAT POLICE DO A LOT OF TIMES.
BUT WHAT CRIMINOLOGISTS DO IS LOOK AT LONGER PERIODS OF TIME, LIKE AN ENTIRE YEAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND COMPARE DURING THAT PERIOD VERSUS THE 12 BEFORE THAT,
CRIME IS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME.
IT'S FINE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CITE THESE STATISTICS AND SAY CRIME HAS GONE UP,
BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER THIS IN A BROADER CONTEXT AND SAY CRIME HAS GONE UP DURING A
RECENT PERIOD, BUT OVER ALL, DURING THESE LUMPS AND HILLS WE'RE FINE.
>> >>PEGGY: OVER YEAR THE CRIME HAS GONE DOWN OVERALL.
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: IF YOU PUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN A VERY BIG CONTEXT, CRIME IS AT THE
LOWEST POINT SINCE THE 1990S WHEN YOU HAD MORE THAN HUNDREDS OF MURDERS IN SAN DIEGO,
NOW WE'RE SEEING ABOUT 30 OR 40 EACH YEAR.
>> >>PEGGY: WHAT IS THE CHIEF'S CREDIT TO THE DROP IN CRIME?
PERSONNEL?
BETTER POLICE?
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: FOR A LONG TIME IT'S BEEN THE DEPARTMENT GETTING MORE EFFICIENT.
EVEN THOUGH THEY LOST HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS MAINLY THROUGH RETIREMENT, THEY GOT BETTER
EQUIPMENT, AS KIND OF REASONS AS THEY WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS CRIME IN A MORE EFFECTIVE
MATTER.
WHAT'S KIND OF CHANGED CRIME RECENTLY, IS THESE TYPES OF THINGS LOSING OFFICERS AND
STAFF ARE CATCHING UP TO THEM.
>> >>PEGGY: THERE HAS BEEN A LOSS HERE AS WE CAN SEE FROM 2009 OF SWORN OFFICERS, RIGHT,
BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE VERY MUCH.
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: WELL, I MEAN THAT DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT BECAUSE EVERY OFFICER THEY LOSE PLACES
INCREASING PRESSURE ON THEIR RESPONSE TIMES AND THEIR ABILITY TO DO THINGS LIKE PROACTIVE
POLICING, WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT UNDERLYING CAUSES INSTEAD OF JUST RESPONDING
TO COMPLAINTS.
>> >>PEGGY: THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS COME UP WITH A FIVE YEAR PLAN RANGING SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN 12 AND 20ÊMILLION DOLLARS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
WHO PAYS FOR THIS?
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION.
THERE ISN'T A FORECAST RIGHT NOW THAT SAYS THE CITY ISN'T GOING TO BE GETTING $65ÊMILLION
IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR NEED TO START ASKING ARE WE GOING TO START TAPPING OTHER
THINGS LIKE FIRE FIGHTERS AND LIBRARIES OR BY INCREASING TAXES AND BOND MEASURES?
>> >>PEGGY: ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS TREND IS IN THE LAST FIVE MONTHS.
WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: WE RECOGNIZE THESE NEEDS AND NOW WE NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT MONEY.
YOU'RE NOT PROBABLY GOING TO SEE VOTES ON SETTING THIS UP FOR AWHILE.
>> >>PEGGY: DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE MORE CRIME STATISTICS FAIR TED OUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS
BECAUSE OF THIS?
>> >>KEEGAN KYLE: YES.
I THINK THAT WILL BE A MAJOR POINT OF THE DISCUSSION ALWAYS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
IS HOW IS CRIME CHANGING, HOW WILL IT BE IMPACTED IF WE INVEST IN MORE OFFICERS.
>> >>PEGGY: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING TO US.